Brave
by The Lonely Goatherd
Summary: A look at the two instances in which Elphaba and Galinda must say goodbye to one another, the first being the Defying Gravity scene and the second the For Good scene…Musical verse…with a Gelphie twist
1. Chapter One: I Might Be Afraid

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Wicked…

**Author's Note: **well hello, I once again bring you a short Gelphie story, set in two parts. I got the idea from Idina Menzel's new song Brave. This really isn't a song fic, just inspired by a song. So yeah…I hope you enjoy it!

**Summary: **A look at the two instances in which Elphaba and Galinda must say goodbye to one another, the first being the Defying Gravity scene and the second the For Good scene…Musical verse…with a Gelphie twist

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**Brave-  
****-Chapter One: I Might Be Afraid**

"So, this is really goodbye?" Elphaba's question hung in the air damp, dingy air of the musty attic.

Glinda and Elphaba stood facing one another. Elphaba held the recently bewitched broom in her hand, clutching the cloak Glinda had just placed around her shoulders to block out the cold that was pressing down on her; she could feel the weight of the Grimmerie in her bag, pulling on her shoulder. Her posture was strong and brave, but to anyone who truly knew her it was quite obvious that she was slowly breaking. She stared at her friend, eyes wide, feeling truly vulnerable for the first time in her life.

Glinda stood facing her best friend, starting to shake herself. It was suddenly cold. She shivered and wrapped her arms around her stomach, willing the sudden bout of nausea to subside. Her recently straightened, to perfection, blonde hair rested on her shoulders, making her neck itch. She took in a deep steadying breath. She had never seen Elphaba look like this before, and what it was she didn't really know. Confident, scared, vulnerable, and brave all at once; her hat and cloak and broom gave her a haunting look that, Glinda noted, seemed to fit her perfectly. It was as if the green woman had been born to look that way.

Glinda suddenly felt sick, Elphaba's words ringing through her mind, loud as a bell. Goodbye? How could this be goodbye? They were supposed to be together for the rest of their lives. They were going to work together with the Wizard, live in the exciting Emerald City where every day would be an adventure. That's how it was supposed to be. They were supposed to be together. The thought of separation was doing something to Glinda that she never thought would ever happen. Together. Together? Together was what?

Glinda didn't care, she was beginning to realize that a life without Elphaba was a life she didn't want to live.

"Elphie I-" her voice cut off as tears bordered her eyes and her throat tightened.

"Glinda," Elphaba took a step forward, her voice pleading. "Come with me," she tried one more time. "Please, Glinda, come with me. Think of everything we could do. Everything we would be able to accomplish. Please, Glinda. Please," Elphaba's voice was soft and sad. "Come with me."

Glinda chocked back a sob, her hand shooting to her mouth, trying to will it away. By the time Elphaba had finished talking Glinda was slowly shaking her head, taking a step back as Elphaba moved forward.

"No, no, no," she said, moving her hand away from her mouth. "This isn't supposed to happen. No. We can't…Elphie, you can't. This isn't…No…I…I won't let you! You can't!" Glinda's voice was growing frantic, rising slightly with each unfinished sentence until she was practically screeching.

"Elphaba think of what you're doing!"

"I have," Elphaba replied calmly.

"Have you?! Elphie, think about this. I mean _really_ think about this. More than just the two seconds it took for you to come up with this crazy scheme!" Glinda's sadness suddenly morphed with anger as she tried to talk so sense into her whim-full friend.

Elphaba rubbed her temples. She could hear the faint sounds of the guards on the other side of the attic door, trying to figure out how to break into the room. They were running out of time and Glinda was making this more difficult than it already was.

"I have thought about it Glinda! You head him, you saw what he was! He's a fake and he's behind everything horrible that's happening in Oz. I refuse to sit around and do nothing! I'm not going to work for a man who I don't believe in. I _refuse_ to inflict laws on people and Animals that I don't agree with in the first place!"

"That's all well and fine, Elphie, but there are better ways of going about this. Go back to him, say you're sorry, decline is offer and tell him you won't tell a soul he's behind it all!" Glinda started pacing, moving her arms about spastically. "If you leave right now, he's going to destroy you Elphaba. You'll have nothing left."

Elphaba stared, stone still, _I would have you…_ the words sang in Elphaba's mind begging herself to speak them, but she couldn't. Something about Glinda's words had struck a chord, making her anger burst through in a way she had never known before. She closed her eyes as her fists clenched into tight balls, her green knuckles nearly turning white. She shook her head, trying to will Glinda's words away.

"Having nothing is being better than some brainless pawn in the game he's playing at; a role, I have no doubt, you'll fill perfectly Glinda," Elphaba snapped, quickly slipping back into her old habit of insulting others to keep herself protected.

Glinda stopped pacing, her pleading eyes turning an icy cold as she stared at Elphaba. Elphaba took a step backwards, instantly regretting her words, knowing she had somehow crossed a line. Glinda couldn't bring herself to say anything; she simply stared, not believing that her friend had insulted her so.

"Glinda, I'm-"

"Don't."

"But-"

"Don't Elphaba."

Silence folded over the two women as they stood staring at one another.

"How could you accuse me of doing that Elphaba? Why would you really think that I would join him?"

Elphaba sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Your eyes. I saw the look in you eyes when he mentioned us forming some grand team. You want it Glinda, just as much as I used to want it."

Glinda's gaze softened as her shoulders slumped as well. "I can't help it Elphie," her lower lip quivered as the tears once again began to form in her eyes. "I'm sorry, but I can't."

Elphaba dropped her broom and stepped to Glinda, wrapping her arms around the smaller woman. Feeling Elphaba's arms wrap around her Glinda let her tears fall, grabbing a fist full of Elphaba's dress in each of her small hands.

"I don't want to fight with you Elphie," Glinda sobbed into the taller woman's shoulder.

Elphaba sighed and allowed herself to lay her cheek atop Glinda's head, tentatively running her hand through her hair in a rare moment of comfort; something Elphaba never thought she was possible of doing. "I don't want to fight with you either, Glinda," she said, pausing to take in a steadying breath. "I would hate for our last moment together to be spiteful."

Glinda pulled out of Elphaba's embrace slightly to look the green woman in the eye. "Our last moment together?" she gasped, trying to control her breathing.

Elphaba smiled sadly, biting her lower lip to control the sudden burst of emotion that sprang from her stomach and spread through her body. "This—this could be the last time we see each other, Glin-" the blonde's name caught on her lips and Elphaba gulped, trying with all her might to keep her own tears at bay.

Glinda lunged forward, her arms wrapping around Elphaba's neck as she grabbed her friend as if her life depended on it. Glinda was sure she was going to die. Whether from lack of oxygen or from the through of never seeing Elphaba again, she wasn't sure.

"No," she coughed, rubbing her head into Elphaba's shoulder. "No, that's not how it's supposed to be. We're supposed to be together, forever Elphie. Forever."

"It can still be that way, Glinda," Elphaba whispered, whether she was reassuring herself of Glinda she didn't know. "If you come with me, if we work together. Think of the possibilities," she pleaded again.

Glinda dug her head further into Elphaba's shoulder.

"Stay with me," Elphaba whispered directly into Glinda's ear.

Glinda shuddered as Elphaba's warm breath came into contact with her cool skin, a feeling she couldn't identify running through her. She pulled back from the embrace again, looking Elphaba in the eye, the feeling of self struggle taking hold of her. Elphaba recognized the look that covered Glinda's face, the look she had had minutes ago when she had considered joining Elphaba in leaving it all behind.

Glinda felt herself falling apart. If she went with Elphaba she would leave behind a world she had longed for. But in its place she would have Elphaba. Elphaba. And only Elphaba. There would be no certainty of tomorrow. There would be no knowing if today would be her last day. The constant feeling of being hunted would hang upon her, a burden on her shoulders. But she would Elphaba. Could one person really be enough? If she stayed she would have it all. Everything she had ever wanted and more. She would have something she had longed for even before her friend entered her life in all her green glory. Life, as she had known it all her life, would be complete.

Once again, Glinda slowly stepped away from Elphaba, blue eyes meeting brown. "How can you be so brave?" she asked quietly, wrapping her arms around her middle once more.

Elphaba's entire body slumped, defeated, immediately recognizing Glinda's round-about denial. "This is my first chance to finally do something. I suppose I have to be," she whispered back, afraid that speaking aloud would disrupt something. She didn't know what.

Glinda nodded, averting her eyes and clutching her sides tighter. "So this is goodbye..." she whispered in the air.

"Glinda, in case we never-" Elphaba stopped when Glinda turned her head again, once again making eye contact with Elphaba. The taller of the two felt her breath hitch. "In case we never…I want you…What I…That I…I…" Elphaba's voice trailed off, as she wrung her hands together.

"What is it Elphie?" Glinda asked, her cheeks stained with tears.

Elphaba didn't respond. She opted to taking two steps forward, wrapping her arm around Glinda's waist, and pressing her thin lips to Glinda's full ones.

Elphaba let herself go for a minute, dropping her hard exterior and the walls she had built up and put everything she had into kissing Glinda. If it were the last time she was going to see her friend, she wanted her to know that somewhere in the midst of their odd friendship Elphaba had grown to care for Glinda in a way she had never cared for anyone before. In a way that she would never be able to care for anyone else in the future. A way that was solely reserved for Glinda and Glinda alone.

Glinda felt herself melting, as she blindly grasped at Elphaba's shoulders, pulling her closer; the height difference forcing her to stand on her toes. She couldn't really comprehend what was going on, but she knew that she never wanted it to end. The feeling of Elphaba's lips pressed to her own, their rhythmic motion like the ocean, was something Glinda wanted to remember and feel for the rest of her life. She was quite certain that she could die at that moment and she would die happy.

Slowly Elphaba pulled away, trailing small kisses up Glinda's jaw to her ear. "I love you," she whispered, kissing Glinda's cheek. "Be brave my sweet."

Without another word Elphaba turned away, picked up her newly acquired broom and went to the window. "I can't," Glinda called out, her voice breathless.

Elphaba smirked as she turned her head, casting a sideways glance at Glinda. "Then I suppose I'll be brave for the both of us," with a swish of her cloak and a leap of faith Elphaba disappeared into the horizon, Glinda running to the window to watch as she flew away.

Elphaba felt the wind brushing her cheeks, combing her hair. It was exhilarating. Below her she could hear the city as frenzy broke loose. Morrible's voice echoed again throughout the land, the word "Wicked" ringing above them all. Gooseflesh raised her green skin, but she didn't care.

Tomorrow would be something she feared. There would be no knowing what was in store from her or whether or not the Wizard would allow her to see the next day. But somewhere in it all it was okay. Somehow this was a beginning. The beginning of a new life. Her life.

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**Author's Note: **Well I hope you enjoyed the first part! The second part, For Good, will be up in a couple of days!!! Let me know what you think! Thanks!

Until next time,

Your humble Author,

The Lonely Goatherd


	2. Chapter Two: But It's My Turn

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own Wicked…or Brave, by Idina Menzel…

**Brave-  
****-Chapter Two: But It's My Turn**

"So this is really goodbye?" Glinda's quiet voice spoke, breaking the warm summer air that hung around the two friends; a comforting contrast to the events unfolding.

Glinda and Elphaba stood facing one another. Her bony arms were wrapped around her middle, making her look sick. Fatigue was beginning to take its hold and she suddenly felt weary. Sleep had never sounded so sweet. Her body had thinned even more, giving her an odd womanly figure. Her facial features seemed sharper than usual. She looked, and felt, completely and utterly broken.

Glinda stood across the room, the Grimmerie in her hand. She wasn't aware that she was holding the book tighter than necessary or that her fingers where turning a ghostly shade of white. She didn't care. Elphaba had never looked like she did at that moment and it frightened Glinda. She felt like she could do nothing. It was all horribly familiar.

Four years had passed.

It was horribly familiar and terrifyingly different all at once; something in Glinda telling her that this time it was real. This time it was really the end and she found herself unable to truly react, not knowing what to do. Unable to accept that facts she was now faced with.

"I suppose it is," Elphaba spoke, her voice hoarse and crisp.

The fact that Elphaba was accepting it too, that she was actually giving in made it somehow worse for Glinda. Elphaba was supposed to be the brave one, the strong one. She was never supposed to know defeat. That was Glinda's job and she new it. She couldn't be brave, she had told Elphaba that four years ago, but it seemed she had to be.

Tears slowly began to build in Glinda's eyes once again and Elphaba noted it made it her eyes look like time crystal clear lakes. A tragically beautiful sight. A wisp of smile pulled at the corner of Elphaba's lips.

"Perhaps we'll meet again in another life," Elphaba tried reassuringly, her words hanging dead in the air. The consultation she had intended with them neither reaching Glinda nor herself.

"It doesn't have to be this way, Elphie," Glinda pleaded stepping forward.

"What other way is there, my sweet?"

Glinda felt a wave of heat stem from her chest at the term of endearment. "Come with me," she whispered, stepping towards the green woman. "I'll fix everything Elphie. We'll go to the palace right now; force the Wizard to admit it. Force him to give up."

As Glinda spoke she grew more confident, noting the expression on Elphaba's face. Consideration having never before been more apparent on her verdigris features. "Think of what we could do, Elphie," she tried, quietly, now standing toe to toe with Elphaba. "Together," she finished, taking Elphaba's larger hand in her own.

Elphaba gulped, trying to quell the desire running through her; whether from Glinda's hand around her own or the ideas she was presenting, she didn't know.

Could it really be that easy? The two of them storming the palace and forcing the Wizard to abdicate. Make him admit he was behind all the horrible happenings. That Elphaba's reputation had been nothing but a façade created by him and Morrible. Would Glinda really be able to make an entire county realize that they had been tricked and fooled? Would it even be wise to do?

Elphaba knew the answer before she even asked the question.

Reluctantly she pulled her hand from Glinda's, once again wrapping her arms around herself. "I can't ask you to do that, Glinda," she said quietly, looking anywhere but at the blonde.

"You can't ask me to do what?" Glinda spoke clearly through gritted teeth. She suddenly felt an undeniable anger course through her. Why did Elphaba have to make it so difficult? "You can't ask me to speak the truth? Forgive me if I'm wrong, but only days ago you accused me of lying to people and now you won't give me the chance to fix it?" Each word rose higher in volume until Glinda was practically yelling. Both women amazed at how easy Glinda had become angry.

"No one would believe you Glinda. They would turn against you," Elphaba's voice was pleading, her eyes wide. "They would destroy you and everything you've built for yourself."

"I could make them see they were wrong! I'll do whatever it takes."

Elphaba shook her head, "They won't believe you now. They'll destroy you Glinda. You'll have nothing left."

Glinda stared at her friend, silent tears falling down her cheeks. "No, I would have so much more," she said softly, "I would have _you_."

Silence filled the air as Glinda's words echoed around the room. Elphaba felt her throat tighten and her heart lurch. Not caring anymore, she finally allowed tears to form in her eyes. Of all the things Glinda could have said in the entirety of Oz, she had to say _that_. She couldn't respond, only able to shake her head, trying to make Glinda's words disappear. Wishing they had never been spoken.

"Please, Elphie," Glinda's voice was broken, the tears running down her face evident as she spoke. Elphaba continued to shake her head as Glinda walked towards her. Glinda held her gaze steady, trying to make eye contact with Elphaba. Elphaba, for her part, was looking down, refusing to look at her petite friend. "Please…"

Slowly, Elphaba brought her head up to meet Glinda's; her chocolate eyes immediately finding Glinda's blue ones. "No," she said, barely above a whisper, her own eyes wet with tears.

"Damn-it Elphaba!" Something in Glinda snapped as she threw the Grimmerie across the room. The book hit the wall with a sickening thud and fell the ground with an even louder thump. Elphaba recoiled slightly from the sounds and Glinda, her arms tightening around her middle.

"I'm s-sorry Glinda," Elphaba spoke, trying to suppress her tears and sobs. "I want to. Sweet Oz, I want to. But I can't. I won't do it to you. I won't condemn you to a life you don't deserve," she said, her voice pleading with Glinda to understand.

Glinda looked to Elphaba through a tear soaked gaze, not believing that her outburst had caused Elphaba to act so…so…She sighed, defeated. Her own tears fell harder as she walked to the taller woman. She pried Elphaba's hands from around her middle and instead placed her petite frame there, wrapping her own arms around Elphaba. The minute Glinda had settled her head into Elphaba's shoulder; the green woman wrapped her own arms around Glinda, rubbing her exposed upper back.

"I just can't say goodbye to you. Not forever," Glinda sobbed into Elphaba's dress, the material scratching her cheek.

"Who says this is forever?"

Glinda pulled back and looked Elphaba in the eye. "You do," she whispered. "I can see it in your eyes."

Elphaba pressed Glinda's head back into her shoulder as the tears once again formed in her eyes. "We'll see each other in another life, then."

"Another life is an awfully long time."

Silence filled the westward most tower of Kiamo Ko as Glinda and Elphaba allowed themselves the small, comforting please of holding the other.

After minutes, Glinda slowly pulled away so she could look at Elphaba once more, but keeping her arms wrapped tightly around the woman. "Elphie?"  
"Hm?"

"If-if this is really goodbye-" women took in a deep calming breath. "Then—then I want you should…I…I didn't get…what I-"

A loud thud and shouts interrupted Glinda's unfinished rambling.

"Glinda, you have to hide," Elphaba said quickly, taking Glinda by the hand and pulling her to a small, hidden closet. She opened the door, helped Glinda step inside then turned and walked across the room to pick up the Grimmerie.

"Elphie, please," Glinda begged, stepping out of the closet. "I need to--"

"You can't make a sound," Elphaba said, returning with the book in hand. "They can't know you're here."

"Elphie, please, just listen to me for-"

A loud bang sounded outside the room, the witch hunters trying to break through their final barrier to the witch.

Elphaba smiled wryly at their attempts as helped Glinda back into her hiding spot.

"Elphie, I-" Elphaba interrupted Glinda once again as she placed a small lingering kiss upon Glinda's pink lips.

"Be brave, my sweet," Elphaba once again whispered into Glinda's ear, sending chills down Glinda's spine. With a final kiss on the cheek Elphaba stepped back.

"Elphie, I lo-"

Glinda was once again cut off as the Elphaba closed the closet door just as the door keeping the witch hunters out broke open; the last thing Glinda seeing was the wistful smile on Elphaba's face before she was consumed in darkness.

Glinda wasn't sure what was going on. She could barely see through the small crack between the two closet doors. There was commotion, that much she new. Perhaps a small amount of fighting. Yelling. Arguing. Silence. A scream.

A loud deafening scream that Glinda recognized though she had never heard it before. Filled with a pain that sounded unbearable. It wasn't possible. It wasn't happening. Her hand shot to her mouth to keep herself from screaming as well and to keep the nausea at bay. Time seemed to slow as Elphaba's scream went on and Glinda could no longer hold it in. She turned from the door, trying to keep herself as she vomited. She coughed silently, the dying sounds of Elphaba giving her cover.

And then…silence.

After a moment she could hear people speaking, a shuffling around and then silence once again.

The silence was unlike any Glinda had heard before. Deafening. A silent thud that was slowly pressing down on her.

"Elphie?" she whispered, wiping her mouth clean with the back of her hand, which she in turn wiped on her dress; not caring if it go dirty.

There was a movement, Glinda could see the shadow of someone outside the door and her heart soared. Elphaba was alright. Everything was going to be ok. The door slowly opened, Chistery poking his head around the wood to look inside. Glinda jumped and clutched her chest, the tears falling, once again, before she even realized it.

The sight before her was one Glinda never wished to see again, though it would remain etched in her mind for the rest of her life.

The room was suddenly cold. Chistery retreated back to a corner, grieving for the loss of his Mistress. A discarded wooden bucket sat on its rounded side by the door. But it was the sight in the middle of the room that Glinda's gaze was focused on. Elphaba's hat stood by itself, a single, solemn reminder of its owner.

Glinda sobbed and dropped to her knees besides the hat, the Grimmerie skidding across the floor as she dropped it. "No," she whispered as she shook her head. "No…Elphie…"

Oz seemed to stop as Glinda the Good mourned the Wicked Witch of the West. As she mourned her friend. As she mourned Elphaba. Her Elphie.

_Be brave my sweet_, Elphaba's final words spun in Glinda's head as her crying was reduced to dry heaves. "I can't…" she gasped between breaths. "I can't Elphie…I can't…"

But she had to. She was the only one left now to make things right. She was the only one with the power to do something. To make something. To make good, just as Elphaba had wanted it. She had to be brave. It was not a matter of choice. She had to and she would.

Slowly, Glinda picked herself up, taking deep steadying breaths. Elphaba's hat clutched to her chest. Carefully she righted herself, smoothing her dress and standing tall. She closed her eyes, resting her cheek against Elphaba's hat and inhaled deeply. The scent was solely Elphaba and she couldn't describe it as anything else.

A small sad smile formed on Glinda's lips as she delicately kissed the black hat. "I love you too, Elphie," she whispered into the material, her reply to Elphaba's confession four years too late.

It was her turn to be the brave one. And she would be. She would be brave, for herself…and for Elphaba.

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**Author's Note: **Well there you have it! All finished! I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing! Let me know what you think!

**Thanks to anyone who reviewed the last chapter!!!! **

Until next time!  
Your humble author,  
The Lonely Goatherd


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